Coffee Surprise
by Carolina-not-Caroline
Summary: Daryl surprises Beth with coffee. AU.


Daryl Dixon is enamored of Beth Greene.

Has been since he first saw her at the local bar where she was celebrating her sister's bachelorette party.

He was there with his fellow firefighter's blowing of the steam after arduous hours at work. He doesn't really recall how his crew and him ended up joining the ladies party- he thinks it was because Bob and Sasha, or Spencer and Rosita- but they did, and he was glad they did.

He was just going to sit there, he swears. He was just going to sit and stare at the pretty blonde, with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen and a smile to match. However, drink after drinks were placed in front of him and his inhibitions were no more.

And maybe it was for the best.

He never would have spoken to Beth if he was at check. He never would have spent that night getting to know her nor would he have made out with her outside the bar.

He also thinks it was for the best that she threw up.

Who knew what would have happened if she didn't. He suspects, though, that a night of ecstasy would have occurred. He would have gone to her apartment, or maybe she to his, and they would have made love, and he would have woken up and made breakfast for her. Or maybe she would have woken up and regret the whole ordeal.

That would have most certainly broken his heart.

She threw up in his shoes though, and after he made sure she would get to her home safe, all he did was hope. Hope that she would take his number, which he wrote on a napkin and placed in her purse, and contact him.

She didn't though, but life went on.

He put out fire after fire. He answered distress calls and went hunting when he was free. And he never looked at other women, even when they so much as threw themselves at his feet, because the one for him was Beth Greene.

During the night of the bachelorette party this what he learned about Beth.

He learned she works at a music store.

He learned that she gives piano lessons on the side, and that she helps her daddy at his farm.

He learned that she loves coffee and that if she didn't drink it she would be a zombie with a terrible headache for the day. He learned that she likes to drink it with cream and that she mostly gets it from Dunkin Donuts, but would occasionally get it from Starbucks.

He knows that he should give up. She didn't call him for a reason, but then he ran into her at the supermarket and the twinkle in her eye and the smile that she gave him caught his eye and told him he still stood a chance.

He feels ridiculous.

He's waiting for his order of two coffees to come up and he's overthinking everything. _Shocker._ He's taking a chance, and doing something he has never done before though. He's going after a girl, and he plans to do it right.

"Dixon," the Barista calls. "Order up."

"Thanks," he replies as he takes his order and continues his mission.

Glenn, Maggie's husband, volunteers at the fire department.

One day, during some down time, Daryl had a one on one with Glenn and asked him about his family. He made sure he was stealthy. He made sure his ulterior motives weren't revealed. He asked about his family and this is what he learned.

Maggie and Shawn, when together, are grown up children.

Glenn can't keep a secret.

Hershel and Annette are true saints, and the way into Beth Greene's heart is not through her stomach; it is through coffee.

 _"Beth. Beth is absolutely crazy." Glenn chuckled while Daryl tried to suppress his own._

 _"You would think that girl is all sugar and everything nice, but if she doesn't have her coffee she's a true hellion. One night she stayed over…" Glenn recalled. "Oh yeah the night of Maggie's bachelorette party, and she all but chewed all of our heads off until she had her coffee."_

That was what he was going of off.

His whole strategy to get the girl depended on coffee and her love for it. He hoped wouldn't come off as a creep when he showed up at the music store with coffee for her because he really wanted something with her; anything.

She knew by now though. She knew that Daryl had been asking about her, and he was interested because Glenn can't keep his mouth shut. But he's enamored by the girl and he's going to at least try to get her. If she didn't accept his advances then he would back off immediately. He knew when he wasn't wanted.

Arriving at the store, Daryl parked his car, exited and approached the building. He knew, because of Eric, who was Aaron's, Daryl's best friend, husband and who worked at the store as well, that Beth was scheduled to work that day. Entering the building, that had Tom Waits music on the background, he spotted Beth stacking CD's.

Making himself heard, so she wouldn't be startled by his arrival, Daryl went towards her and cleared his throat when he was close enough. Quickly turning her head to see the new arrival Daryl saw a faint blush caress Beth's cheeks when she saw that it was him who was before her.

"Daryl," Beth said breathlessly. "Hi. Wha…What are you doing here?"

"I…I was in the neighborhood and I got coffee and I bought you one because you told me you liked coffee that night and Glenn mentioned it too and I wanted to see you." Daryl babbled, feeling more and more like an idiot as every word left his mouth. _How did he ever think this was a good idea?_

"Oh," Beth replied going for the coffee in Daryl's hand. "Daryl, you're a life saver."

Surprised by Beth's response Daryl said nothing. He just stood there and watched as Beth drank greedily from the cup.

"The coffee machine in the break room isn't working so I didn't get to have my second cup this afternoon." Beth explained. "My head is just about to explode.

Smiling at that, Daryl then said. "Well uhm you're welcome."

Turning to leave because even though Beth liked the coffee surprise Daryl still felt like an idiot, Daryl was stopped by Beth's small hand on his shoulder.

"Daryl, why are you here?" Beth then asked with a look of uncertainty marring her pretty face. "I was so sure you probably never wanted to see me again after I threw up in your shoes, and basically threw myself at your feet that night. And you but all ran away from me at the supermarket, but now you're here with some coffee and I don't understand."

Turning back to face her Daryl incredulously said, "Girl, I like you. That's why I brought you the coffee, and if I didn't want to see you again I wouldn't have left my number in your purse that night."

"What?" Beth then asked. "You left your number in my purse?!

"Yeah."

"Oh God. I lost my purse in the cab that night. That's why I never called you," Beth explained looking sorry as she did.

Oh. _Oh_. So she didn't call because she lost her purse. She didn't call not because he was a Dixon or because that night was mistake for her.

"Well," Daryl then said with a small smile as he took out of his pocket the receipt he had just gotten from the coffee shop and as he approached the stores cashier to grab a pen.

"Here is my number. Don't lose it this time."

That night Daryl received a call from Beth, and he couldn't have been happier.

He asked her for a date the next day, and even though he was to see her four hours later Daryl still bought her a coffee.

That then became tradition. He "surprises" her with coffee every day when she's at work, even when there is a new coffee machine in her break room.

When she's not at work and when he's not on duty they go on dates. Mostly they go to the ice cream parlor in town where Daryl gets pecan ice cream and Beth a coffee one.

Then one day Daryl doesn't drop off her coffee at the store. Beth can't help but be worried. Her head protests and her stomach turns each hour Daryl doesn't show up with her coffee. It should be clear that her discomfort isn't because of the coffee though, it's because Daryl's absence. She can't help but imagine the worse. Daryl works a dangerous but honorable job. He risks his life to safe other people's lives, but as she closes the store for the night she wishes he didn't.

She sighs with relief when she hears the roar of his motorcycle. She then frowns when she takes in his appearance. They had been dating for a year now, being official three weeks after he brought her her first coffee, and whenever Daryl brought her coffee he would show up in his jeans and fire department t-shirt. Tonight, though, he's wearing black slacks and a black button up shirt, but he does have her coffee.

"Daryl," Beth then says with relief. "Where have you been?"

And Daryl watching the girl he has been enamored for months before, but completely head over his in love now, can't help but answer by saying, "I was at the farm. I was talking to your father." Her father who is a saint, by the way, because he said yes to Daryl's inquiry.

"Why?" Beth, who has her suspicions, asked with her heart on her throat.

"To see if he would let me give you this," Daryl then said as he took the coffee from the holder and handed it to her.

"You went to ask my daddy if you could give me coffee." Beth laughed. "Isn't it a little too late for that?"

"Yeah, but read the cup, Beth," Daryl then said as he moved the cup around.

Usually Daryl had the barista write " _My Girl"_ in the cup, but today the cup read " _Will you marry me?"_ with a _"Say yes"_ caption she suspects the barista added.

Gasping Beth then looked up to look at Daryl, but he wasn't there. Instead he was on one knee in the ground holding up to her a beautiful ring, and with his heart trying to pound away from his chest as he waited for her response.

And everything, well everything was worth it at the end. The vomit in his shoes. The stealthy questions. The overthinking. The chance he took. The money he spent in overpriced coffee for surprises. It was all worth it in the end because she nodded her head in yes, and Daryl Dixon got the girl.

 **I saw a post about a guy surprising his girl with coffee at work and got inspired. I know Daryl is a OC but I really wanted to write this. I also know it's too cheesy but cheesy is what I do. If there is any mistakes I apologize. Please do tell me what you guys thought about this and thank you for reading:)**


End file.
